Steve Schuh: Overtime error could lead to $5 million in unpaid time, employees to be reimbursed

Anne Arundel County unintentionally underpaid overtime possible for two decades, meaning the county could owe up to $5 million to current and former employees, County Executive Steve Schuh said Friday. “This problem has been ongoing for 10 to 20 years over successive administrations and internal auditors and outside auditors,” Schuh said. “It wasn’t caught until a new payroll vendor saw the error. We are going to identify each person and reimburse them fully.” The scope and cost of the payments have not been determined. An investigation is underway but will take months as forensic auditors track down each person who was underpaid. (Capital)

For Baltimore County during Kevin Kamenetz years, much change

In 1994, thousands still worked at Sparrows Point in Baltimore County, which shipped nearly 3 million tons of steel products that year, helping Bethlehem Steel post its first profit in years. As city residents continued a decades-long flock to the suburbs, county schools bulged at their aging seams, and used trailers to capture the spillover. After the closure of Hutzler’s, Finkelstein’s and other homegrown stores, the county seat of Towson was trying to revitalize its downtown retail and nightlife offerings. Also in 1994, voters elected a young Democrat named Kevin Kamenetz to the County Council, launching a 24-year career culminating in two terms as the county executive. (Balt. Sun)

Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz spent nearly three decades building a close-knit family, a successful legal career and a formidable political machine — all from the comfort of his native Baltimore County. And for the past year, Kamenetz had taken his no-nonsense brand of Democratic politics on the road, traversing the state to amass a $2 million war chest to finance his bid to be Maryland’s next governor. Then — suddenly — he was gone. The death of the 60-year-old immediately reshaped the political landscape in Baltimore County and Maryland. (Balt. Sun)

Baltimore County administrative officer to serve as acting executive after Kevin Kamenetz's death

Fred Homan, Baltimore County’s veteran administrative officer, will serve as acting county executive until the County Council chooses a permanent replacement to succeed Kevin Kamenetz. Homan, who has worked in county government since 1978, assumed the post after Kamenetz’s death Thursday. As administrative officer, Homan already was responsible for much of the day-to-day operation of Maryland’s third most populous county, which has about 830,000 residents and a government workforce of 7,500. (Balt. Sun)

ATF can’t save bump stock owners from Maryland ban

The state of Maryland has stumbled across a novel way to satisfy gun-control opponents: create a licensing process that cannot be put into practice. Maryland lawmakers had sought to ban bump stocks, the controversial rifle accessory used in last year’s Las Vegas massacre. But in writing the law, a clause allowing some gun owners to keep them may have backfired. The new law allows bump stocks and other “rapid-fire trigger activators” to be owned by people who get special dispensation from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). But the federal agency has no process or authority to offer that dispensation and, indeed, was never even told of the Maryland law, the ATF told ABC News. (WTOP-ABC)

Blue-and-white campaign signs sprinkled between Arnold and Severna Park lay out a few moral complaints about Republican candidates in county and state elections — but the person who paid for and placed them might not be on the moral high ground. The handful of signs read “Peroutka = White Supremacy, Leopold = Convict and McConkey = Disbarred, We deserve better leaders, do your research, vote November 6.” The bottom of the sign is labeled with: “Not authorized by any opponent.” Because of this, the person or people behind them might be breaking Maryland election laws. (Capital)

Forum to include 4 Republicans, 1 Democrat candidate for House of Delegates, District 5

Three seats are up for election representing District 5 in the Maryland House of Delegates, with five candidates — including all three incumbents — vying for them. Four Republicans, including incumbent Dels. Susan Krebs, April Rose and Haven Shoemaker, and newcomer David Ellin, are seeking the party’s nomination in June’s primary to move on to the General Election in November. The top three vote-getters in the Republican primary move on, where they will face a challenge from Emily Shank, the lone Democrat running for a District 5 seat in the House, in the general election. (Carr. Co. Times)

Governor, cabinet members tour Howard County

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and members of his cabinet kicked off today’s tour of Howard County, with visits scheduled to county businesses and institutions, on a somber note. The morning was overshadowed by the sudden death of Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz. Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford opened the morning’s regional cabinet meeting, at the Miller Branch Library in Ellicott City, with a moment of silence for the longtime politician and Democratic gubernatorial candidate. (Columbia Flier)